Zoe Saldana says a former manager suggested she change her name early in her career

• Zoe Saldana spoke about the worst advice she's received as an actress in Entertainment Weekly.
• Saldana, 43, recalled being "discouraged" from using her real name.

Zoe Saldana was "discouraged" from using her real name in the early days of her career.

During an interview with Entertainment Weekly's Bold School, Saldana recalled the worst advice she received as an actress. "The Adam Project" actress said it happened when she filmed the 2000 film "Center Stage."

"When I did 'Center Stage,' I remember being discouraged by my management at that time to use my name," Saldana, 43, told the outlet. "But their intention was never for me to stop being who I was. They celebrated who I was."

Saldana clarified that her manager at that time was a former singer and ballroom performer who also changed her name.

"She did change her name as well, when she was a teenager back in the '60s, I believe. And she said it's what everybody does," Saldana said.

Saldana said that the advice would be considered "poor" by today's standards. "That was her doing the best that she wanted for me, but I still knew that I liked my name," she continued.

Representatives for Saldana did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

In the same interview, Saldana said she received the best advice from Steven Spielberg, who she worked with on "The Terminal," and James Cameron, who directed "Avatar." While Cameron encouraged her onscreen athleticism, Spielberg told her: "In order for you to know where you're going, you must always know where you came from."

Saldana stars in "The Adam Project" alongside Ryan Reynolds, Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Garner, and Catherine Keener. The sci-fi adventure film follows Reynolds, who plays a pilot from 2050 that crashed in the past, as he and his 12-year-old self attempt to save the future. Fans can watch the new film on Netflix.